Brain Study Paves Way for Therapy for Common Cause of Dementia

A study published in Science Translational Medicine suggests blood vessel changes associated with cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) can be reversed, according to Medical Xpress . The researchers determined SVD happens when cells lining small blood vessels in the brain become dysfunctional and secrete a molecule that halts production of the protective myelin sheath. The team treated rats with drugs that stop blood vessel cells from becoming dysfunctional, which reversed the symptoms of SVD and prevented brain damage. They say further studies will need to test whether the therapy also works when the disease is deeply entrenched, and if this method can reverse the symptoms of dementia. "The findings highlight a promising direction for research into treatments that could limit the damaging effects of blood vessel changes and help keep nerve cells functioning for longer," says Sara Imarisio with Alzheimer's Research UK.